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Rwanda Commercial

Commercial High Court

RWANDA DEVELOPMENT BOARD (RDB), v. GENERAL TECHNICAL CONSTRUCTION LIMITED (GTC Ltd)

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Research organized from the available case record

Source document

01

Holding and result

The Director General of RDB does not have standing to initiate insolvency proceedings for a company; only those listed in Article 16 of Law n°12/2009, including the Register General, may do so. The specific provision in the insolvency law overrides the general powers granted to the Director General under the RDB establishing law.

Court disposition

appeal dismissed

Orders

  • No change to the lower court's decision refusing RDB's application.
  • RDB to pay court costs of Frw 11,700.

02

Material facts

Parties

Rwanda Development Board (RDB)

Appellant Counsel: Me SEBAZUNGU Alphonse

General Technical Construction Limited (GTC Ltd)

Respondent

Amounts and remedies

  • Court Costs Awarded: Frw 11,700

03

Procedural history

  1. Posture

    Commercial Appeal / Final Appellate Judgment

04

Questions and positions

Legal issues

Party arguments

Applicant
RDB argued that its Director General, by virtue of powers under Organic Law n°53/2008 and as head of RCRSA, had authority to represent RDB in all legal matters, including insolvency applications.
Respondent
GTC Ltd maintained that only those specifically listed in Article 16 of Law n°12/2009, including the Register General, have standing to initiate insolvency proceedings, and the Director General of RDB is not among them.

05

Court’s reasoning

  1. 01

    Law n°12/2009, Article 16

    Only persons expressly listed in Article 16 of Law n°12/2009 may initiate insolvency proceedings.

  2. 02

    general principle of statutory interpretation

    A specific legal provision overrides a general one (le particulier déroge au général).

06

Ratio, limits and disposition

Ratio decidendi

The Director General of RDB does not have standing to initiate insolvency proceedings for a company; only those listed in Article 16 of Law n°12/2009, including the Register General, may do so. The specific provision in the insolvency law overrides the general powers granted to the Director General under the RDB establishing law.

Obiter and limits

  • Even though the Director General of RDB has general authority to represent RDB in court, this does not extend to matters where the law provides for a specific representative.

Court disposition

appeal dismissed

  • No change to the lower court's decision refusing RDB's application.
  • RDB to pay court costs of Frw 11,700.

Source and reliance status

Commercial High Court · 20 September 2013

This page organises the available record for research. Confirm quotations, current status, and subsequent treatment against the official source before relying on the case.

Judgment reading view

Judgment text

The complete available source text.

Source document

Commercial High Court

Commercial· 20 September 2013

R COM A 0296/13/HCC

RWANDA DEVELOPMENT BOARD (RDB), v. GENERAL TECHNICAL CONSTRUCTION LIMITED (GTC Ltd)

- Source: Amategeko - Section: Decisions (Judgements) - Date: 2013-09-20 - Case/document no.: R COM A 0296/13/HCC - Collection: Commercial High Court

Text

Page 1

RWANDA DEVELOPMENT BOARD (RDB), v. GENERAL TECHNICAL CONSTRUCTION LIMITED (GTC Ltd) [Rwanda URUKIKO RUKURU RW’UBUCURUZI–R COM A 0296/13/HCC (Niwemugeni, J.) 20 Nzeri 2013] Amategeko yerekeye izahura ry’ubucuruzi n’irangiza ry’ibibazo biturutse ku gihombo – Igihombo – Uburyo ikurikirana ry’igihombo butangizwa– Uburyo bw’ikurikirana ry’igihombo butangizwa gusa buregewe – abemewe gutanga ikirego kirebana n’ikurikirana ry’igihombo– abemerewe gutanga ikirego kirebana n’ikurikirana ry’igihombo ni ababerewemo imyenda,ugomba kwishyura,abagize inama y’ubutegetsi cyangwa umwe muribo,Umwanditsi Mukuru. Incamake y’ikibazo: RDB yatanze ikirego mw’izina ry’umuyobozi Mukuru wayo mu rukiko rw’ubucuruzi rwa nyarugenge gisaba gutegeka ko sosiyete GTC Ltd yahombye,Urukiko rwemeje ko ikirego cya RDB kitakiriwe kubera ko ingingo ya 16, igika cya 1 cy’Itegeko n°12/2009 ryerekeye izahura ry’ubucuruzi n’irangiza ry’ibibazo biturutse ku gihombo iteganya ko uburyo bw’ikurikirana ry’igihombo butangizwa buregewe gusa, icyo kirego gishobora gutangwa n’aba bakurikira : 1° ababerewemo imyenda ; 2° ugomba kwishyura ; 3° abagize inama y’ubutegetsi cyangwa umwe muri bo ; Umwanditsi Mukuru. Umuyobozi Mukuru wa RDB akaba nta burenganzira afite bwo kuregera ibirego bijyanye n’igihombo cy’amasosiyete y’ubucuruzi. RDB yajuririye Urukiko Rukuru rw’ubucuruzi avuga ko umucamanza wa mbere yanze kwakira ikirego cyatanzwe

mw’izina ry’umuyobozi Mukuru wayo mu gihe yabiherewe uburenganzira n’ingingo za 23,24, 30 y’itegeko Ngenga n°53/2008, izo ngingo uko ari ishetu zerekana ko Umuyobozi Mukuru wa RDB nk’ukuriye imirimo yose ya RDB harimo na Rwanda Commercial Ragistration Services Agency (RCRSA)afite ububasha bwo kuyihagarira mu nkiko. Incamake y’icyemezo: Hemejwe ko Uburyo bw’ikurikirana ry’igihombo butangizwa buregewe gusa n’aba bakurikira : 1° ababerewemo imyenda; 2° ugomba kwishyura; 3° abagize inama y ubutegetsi cyangwa umwe muri bo; 4° Umwanditsi Mukuru.Umuyobozi Mukuru wa RDB ‟ ntabwo abarirwa muri abo batatu bavuzwe haruguru bashobora gutanga ikirego kirebana n’ikurikirana ry’igihombo.byongeyeho nubwo Umuyobozi Mukuru wa RDB afite uburenganzira bwo kuyihagararira mu nkiko,ariko mu byerekeranye n’irangiza ry’ibibazo biturutse ku gihombo itegeko ryateganije ko ibirego bitangwa n’Umwanditsi Mukuru kuko “le particulier déroge au général” Ubujurire nta shingiro bufite; Amagarama y’urubanza aherereye k’uwajuriye. Amategeko yashingiweho: Itegeko n°12/2009 ryo kuwa 26/05/2009 ryerekeye izahura ryubucuruzi n’irangiza ry ibibazo ‟ biturutse ku gihombo ,ingingo ya 16.

Page 2

Nta manza zashingiweho. Urubanza I. IMITERERE Y’URUBANZA MU NCA MAKE [1] RDB yareze GTC Ltd mu rubanza R.COM 0379/010/TC/NYGE asaba ko Urukiko rutegeka ko iyo sosiyete yahombye. [2] RDB yatanze icyo kirego ivuga ko ari Umuyobozi Mukuru wayo ufite uburenganzira bwo kuregera ibirego byose mu izina ryayo ndetse n’ibirego bijyanye n’igihombo cy’amasosiyete y’ubucuruzi kubera ko servisi y’Umwanditsi Mukuru (Register General) yabaye unite muri RDB, bityo Umwanditsi Mukuru akaba atagifite uburenganzira bwo kuregera ibirego bijyanjye n’igihombo cy’amasosiyete y’ubucuruzi. [3] Urukiko rw’Ubucuruzi rwa Nyarugenge rwaciye urubanza rukijije ko ikirego cya RDB kitakiriwe kubera ko ingingo ya 16, igika cya 1 cy’Itegeko n°12/2009 ryo ku wa 26/05/2009 ryerekeye izahura ry’ubucuruzi n’irangiza ry’ibibazo biturutse ku gihombo iteganya ko uburyo bw’ikurikirana ry’igihombo butangizwa buregewe gusa, icyo kirego gishobora gutangwa n’aba bakurikira : 1° ababerewemo imyenda ; 2° ugomba kwishyura ; 3° abagize inama y’ubutegetsi cyangwa umwe muri bo ; Umwanditsi Mukuru. [4] RDB ntabwo yishimiye imikirize y’urwo rubanza, irujuririra muri uru Rukiko ku wa 07/10/2010. II. IMIGENDEKERE Y’URUBANZA [5] Mw’iburanisha ry’urubanza ku ya 26/05/2011 hitabye RDB ihagarariwe na Me SEBAZUNGU Alphonse naho GTC Ltd yiburanira. III. ISESENGURA RY’IBIBAZO BIGIZE URUBANZA Ikibazo gisuzumwa muri uru rubanza n’ukumenya

ninde hagati y’Umuyobozi Mukuru wa RDB n’Umwanditsi Mukuru (Register General) ufite uburenganzira bwo kuregera ibirego bijyanye n’igihombo cy’amasosiyete y’ubucuruzi. [6] Uhagarariye RDB avuga ko umucamanza wa mbere yanze kwakira ikirego cya RDB nyamara Itegeko Ngenga n°53/2008 ryo ku wa 02/09/2008 rigenga RDB mu ngingo yaryo ya 30 ryashyize umutungo n’abakozi ba Rwanda Commercial Registration Services Agency (RCRSA) n’ibindi bigo, akomeza avuga ko ingingo ya 24 y’iryo Tegeko ryateganije muri RDB umuyobozi ushinzwe secteur prive akaba ari nawe ushinzwe gutunganya imilimo y’iyandikisha mu bucuruzi bikaba byumvikana ko rero ariwe ukuriye servisi ya RCRSA, arangiza avuga ko ingingo ya 23 y’Itegeko rishyiraho RDB riha Umuyobozi wayo ububasha bwo kuyihagarira mu nkiko. [7] Urukiko rusanze ariko ko impamvu y’ubujurire bwa RDB nta shingiro ifite kuko Itegeko Ngenga rigenga RDB ryashyizweho muri 2008, nyuma y’aho hashyirwaho Itegeko ryihariye

Page 3

n°12/2009 ryo kuwa 26/05/2009 ryerekeye izahura ryubucuruzi n’irangiza ry ibibazo biturutse ‟ ku gihombo kandi muri iryo Tegeko, hateganijwe abantu bihariye bashobora kuregera igihombo cy’amasosiyete y’ubucuruzi, muri abo bantu, Umuyobozi Mukuru wa RDB ntawurimo ariko Umwanditsi Mukuru (Register General) ariwe uvugwa mu bafite ubwo burenganzira nk’uko bigaragara mu ngingo ya 16 y’iryo Tegeko igiri iti: «Uburyo bw ikurikirana ry igihombo ‟ ‟ butangizwa buregewe gusa. Icyo kirego gishobora gutangwa n aba bakurikira : 1° ababerewemo ‟ imyenda; 2° ugomba kwishyura; 3° abagize inama y ubutegetsi cyangwa umwe muri bo; 4° ‟ Umwanditsi Mukuru.» [8] Urukiko rusanze kandi ko kuba Umuyobozi Mukuru wa RDB yahawe uburenganzira bwo kuyihagarira mu nkiko bitavuga ko undi mukozi usanzwe wa RDB atashobora guhabwa uburenganzira bwo guhagarira icyo kigo mu nkiko mu bibazo bimwe mu gihe biteganijwe n’amategeko nk’uko byakozwe mu Itegeko n°12/2009 ryo kuwa 26/05/2009 ryerekeye izahura ryubucuruzi n’irangiza ry ibibazo biturutse ku gihombo hakurikijwe ihame: “le particulier ‟ déroge au général” IV. ICYEMEZO CY’URUKIKO RUKURU RW’UBUCURUZI [9] RWEMEYE kwakira ubujurire bwa LETA Y’U RWANDA/RDB ariko RWEMEJE ko nta shingiro bufite. [10] RWEMEJE ko nta gihindutse ku rubanza R.COM 0379/010/TC/NYGE rwaciwe n’Urukiko rw’Ubucuruzi rwa Nyarugenge ku wa 17/09/2010. [11] RUTEGETSE LETA Y’U RWANDA/RDB kwishyura amagarama y’uru rubanza ahwanye na Frw 11.700. [12] RUVUZE ko rutasomwe ku wa 08/07/2011 kubera ko umucamanza yari afite ibirarane byinshi by’akazi nyuma yo gupfusha umwana.

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Authorities

Authorities used by the court

Cases, legislation, regulations, and constitutional provisions identified in the available record.

Law n°12/2009 of 26/05/2009 on insolvency and business recovery, Article 16

Legislation

Legislation referenced in the available case record.

Organic Law n°53/2008 establishing RDB, Articles 23, 24, 30

Legislation

Legislation referenced in the available case record.

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